Our Department of Alaska Convention is scheduled to be held on April 24-26, 2025, in Palmer at Matanuska Valley Post 15, 1550 S Mystic Circle in Palmer, Alaska.

The Convention convenes April 24 with a Pre-Convention DEC meeting on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, and a post-convention DEC meeting on Saturday, April 26 when the Convention adjourns.

Here are some things you need to be aware of in order to be prepared for this year’s Department Convention:

  1. SPECIAL MEMORANDUM: There is a total of $30 which ALL UNITS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE ATTENDING THE CONVENTION. This should be sent to the ALA Department Secretary by March 28. (Included in ALA Forms below).
  2. CONVENTION REGISTRATION: There are two Convention forms that need to be completed:
      • One is the Auxiliary Delegates and Alternates form due back to ALA Department Secretary by March 28. This is only a list of names of each unit’s delegates and alternates. No money should be sent with this form. (Included in ALA Forms below).
      • The other is the Registration form (included in The American Legion Packet on pages 5 & 6), which is due back to The American Legion Post 15 postmarked on or before March 31th, 2025. If registration is received by March 31st the cost will be $160. If received after March 31st the cost will be $185. Payment should be included when you send the Registration Form to Matanuska Valley Post 15 at 1550 S Mystic Circle, Palmer, AK  99645-1146. (Included in TAL Packet below).
  3. CERTIFICATION OF DELEGATES: This form certifies the delegates to represent your unit at the Department Convention. While you can email/mail this before the convention, the ORIGINAL must be brought to the Convention (signed by the unit President and Secretary) and given to the Department Secretary. (Included in ALA Forms below).
  4. UNIT OFFICERS FOR THE 2025-2026 YEAR: Don’t forget to hold your elections prior the Convention. Generally speaking, nominations are presented at one general meeting and voting occurs at the next general meeting. That probably means nominations in February and elections in March. Please remember that no one can hold an office unless their membership shows current (both the Unit and Department levels). You can send it to the Department Secretary prior to the Department Convention, but please keep a copy for your unit records. It is important that all requested information is submitted. Please do not write “see last year” on the forms. It is always possible that what you have at the completion of this form is not what the Department Secretary has from last year.
  5. VOTING STRENGTH FOR CONVENTION: The voting strength for the convention will be determined based on the membership in each unit one month before the Convention. That means you must have all your memberships turned into Diana on or before March 26th, 2025 so she has time to process them through National.
  6. ENDORSEMENT LETTERS:  Those who are running for an ALA Department officer position must have an endorsement from their unit. That requires you to approve endorsing that person and the position for which they are running. After your unit meeting, an endorsement letter on the Unit letterhead and signed by the President and Secretary should be sent to the Department Secretary. She will then inform you when you can release your letter to the other units in our Department. Do not send it to other units until you get the ok to send a notification.
  7. History Books, Prayer Books, Poppy Books, Poppy Poster: Please prepare your books and posters now to bring to the Department Convention.
  8. PLEASE REMEMBER this year will be our 1st year of producing a yearbook with all of our Annual Reports as well as other items in it. Please have all ANNUAL REPORTS as well as other items you would like in the book to me by April 1st. for this book. THIS IS NOT THE CONVENTION BOOK. You will still need to send REPORTS to National/Division when requested as usual.
  9. SCHOLARSHIPS: Our Education Chairperson, Patty Mazonna-Jones ( should have sent you information on all scholarships available). Remember that the scholarship application (except for the Children of Warriors National President’s Scholarship. See the first bullet below) must be submitted to the local unit for approval (and checking to be sure the applicants eligible) before it is sent to the Department Secretary with a signature of approval by the unit.
      • The Children of Warriors National President’s Scholarship is a national scholarship. THIS IS A NEW PROCESS IMPLENTED LAST YEAR. PLEASE READ AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THIS CHANGE. It must be submitted ELECTRONICALLY on the National website by March 1, 2025. Because we are behind the East Coast, it must be submitted no later than 8 pm Alaska time. If someone from your unit is submitting for this scholarship, please let us know so we can watch for the application to be sent to us by National. National Headquarters will send any received from Alaska to the Department after that deadline so we can make our selection.
      • The following scholarships are due by March 1st for consideration and then sent by the Unit to the Department by March 15th.Junior Member Loyalty Scholarship; Non-Traditional Student Scholarship; and the Spirit of Youth Scholarship.
      • The Merrilyn Stock/Evelyn Oliver application is due to the local Unit by March 15th and can be sent by certified mail to the Department Secretary prior to April 15th. They can also be brought to the Convention. The winner(s) will be selected during the Department Convention.
  10. POST/UNIT EVERLASTING: We will be having a Post Everlasting Ceremony at the Convention. This will cover the dates from April 1, 2024, to March 30, 2025. Please be sure you have sent updates on all members who have passed away during that time so we can include them in the Ceremony. The updates need to be received by April 1st.
  11. THINGS TO REMEMBER:
      • A no-host cocktails and finger foods get together will take place, beginning at 4:00 pm, Wednesday, April 23, in honor of the Legion, Auxiliary and SAL VIPs who will be attending the Convention.
      • Registration will run from 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Wednesday, April 23 in and again from 7:00 – 8:45 am, Thursday.
      • The Americanism Luncheon is on Thursday.
      • Friday wear RED in support of our troops.
      • Saturday wear PURPLE in support of the Military Child of the Month (April) and the Children and Youth Luncheon is also on Saturday.

FORMS:

For more information and details, contact our Department Secretary:

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Alaska Department